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The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time

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Notes From Your Bookseller

Bibliophiles, listen up! From writing to printing to binding and more, this is a comprehensive exploration of one of our favorite things.

"A masterful and overwhelmingly entertaining volume." —Clea Simon, Boston Globe

In The Book, Keith Houston reveals that the paper, ink, thread, glue, and board from which a book is made tell as rich a story as the words on its pages. In an invitingly tactile history of this 2,000-year-old medium, Houston follows the development of writing, printing, the art of illustrations, and binding to show how we have moved from cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls to the hardcovers and paperbacks of today.

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